Snubbed bolster truck



FeB.- 12, 1957 R. B. COTTRELL SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 17, 1952 INVENTOR. flvimf 2 6M b BY Waf Feb; 1957 R. B. COTTRELL SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1952 INVENTOR. %m EOI /ZG-ZK Feb. 12, 1957 RE L 2,781,003

, SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCKv 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 17, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

tinned States Patent 6' SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK Robert B. Cottrel], Chicago, 11]., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, IJL, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 17, 1952, Serial No. 326,537

18 Claims. (Cl. 105-197) My invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a novel snubbing arrangement therefor.

it is a general object of my invention to provide snubbing means between a railway truck bolster and side frame whereby constant frictional forces will resist relative upward and downward movements between said frame and bolster.

It is another general object of my invention to provide a snubbing arrangement that will more elfectively resist relative horizontal angling between the bolster and side frame than the arrangements presently in use.

A further general object of my invention is to provide shoes engaging wedge surfaces that will effectively resist the tendency of the shoe to angle in response to relative movements between the frame and bolster. v

A further general object of my invention is to simplify bolster construction by the elimination of angular wedge surfaces, thereby rendering the bolster more easily constructed and more cheaply manufactured.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a snubbing device wherein the shoe actuating springs react in a horizontal plane.

Yet another specific object of my invention is to provide a snubbing arrangement wherein the shoe actuating springs react in a horizontal plane and along a line angularly related to the shoe engaged bolster surface.

Still another specific object of my invention is to provide a snubbing arrangement wherein the shoe actuating springs react in a horizontal plane and along a line parallel to the shoe engaged bolster surface.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent in the course of the following description and from an examination of the associated drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a side frame-bolster assembly embodying my invention, and with a portion of the left-hand friction assembly shown in section;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1 and with a partial section taken along 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the structure of Figure 1 with the bolster and load springs removed;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 6 is a top plan view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the embodiment of Figure 5, with a section taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a central vertical sectional view of the structure of Figure 5 with the bolster and load springs removed, and

Figure 8 is a sectional View taken along line S8 of Figure 6.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to Figures 1 to 4, wherein the numeral 2 generally indicates 2,781,003 Patented Feb. 12, 1957 'ice the side frame and the numeral 4 generally indicates the bolster, it will be seen that the side frame 2 is composed of a compression member 6 and a tension member 8 which merge at associated ends to form journal boxes (not shown). Centrally of the side frame spaced vertical columns 10, 10 merge at their upper and lower ends with the compression and tension members 6 and 8, respectively, and define therewith a bolster opening 12. Centrally of the side frame and intermediate the columns 10, 10 the tension member presents a spring seat 14 upon which rest the lower ends of the load springs indicated at 16. It will be noted that the tension member is widened in the spring seat area and presents upstanding inboard and outboard flanges 18, 18 which merge with tension member 8 and the columns 10, 10. The flanges 18, 18 form with the spring seat 14 a cradle which receives the mentioned lower ends of the springs 16. The functional effect of this cradle construction is to increase the normal distance between the spring seat 14 and the supported bolster 4, thereby enabling longer and more resilient load springs to be used for bolster support.

The bolster 4 has an end 20 disposed within the side frame opening 12 Whereat it is flexibly supported on the upper ends of the load springs 16. Referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that said bolster end 20 has formed thereon lugs 22, 22 which project from the sides thereof to embrace the adjacent and related column 10, thereby positively limiting relative movement between the bolster and side frame transversely of said frame. Intermediate the lugs 22, 22 each side of the bolster end 20 is slightly depressed as at 24 to accommodate the rigid mounting of a vertical friction plate 26.

A pocket 28 is formed in each column 10. An opening 27 is formed in said column immediately adjacent the normal position of the friction plate 26 of the bolster 4 communicating with the pocket 28. Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the pocket 28 is vertically defined by the spaced wedge walls 30 and 32 and horizontally defined by the inboard and outboard vertical walls 34 and 36, respectively, of the column 10. The wedge walls 30 and 32 are preferably formed integrally with the inboard and outboard column walls 34 and 36.

The upper wedge wall 32 comprises a horizontal segment 38 and a wedge segment 40. It will be noted that the wedge segment 40 is formed integral with and angular to the horizontal segment 38. The lower wedge wall 30 also comprises a horizontal segment 42 and an integral angularly related wedge segment 44. Noting Fig ures l and 4, it will be seen that the wedge segments 40 and 44 present the shoe engaging wedge surfaces 46 and 48, respectively, said wedge surfaces being in a converging relation. Referring to Figure 2 the wedge segments 40 and 44 are seen to extend diagonally between the inboard column wall 34 and the outboard column wall 36 and that said wedge segments are in an acute angle relation with the friction plate 26 on the adjacent bolster.

The friction shoe 50 employed in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4 is illustrated in cross section in Figure 4. It will be seen that said shoe comprises a flat friction wall 52, the external surface of which frictionally engages the friction plate 26 adjacently carried by the bolster. Top and bottom shoe walls 54 and 56 are formed integral with and normal to the friction wall 52. A shoe wedge wall 58 depends angularly from the top wall 54 and is in acute angle relation with the flat friction wall 52. As a result the wedge wall 58 presents a wedge surface 60 which will complementally engage the wedge surface 46 of the column wedge segment 40. The bottom shoe wall 56 also presents a shoe wedge wall 62 which is angularly related to the shoe wall 56 and the friction wall 52. The wedge surface 64 of the wedge wall 62 complethe spring seat wall 98 of the housing 84.

mentally engages the Wedge surface 48 of the column shoe walls, 54 and 56. Within the housing 66 the Wall 68 presents a spring seat 70 uponwhich is seated one end of the shoe actuating spring 72. Referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that the other end of the spring 72 is seated against the outboard column wall 36 within the pocket 28 whereby the spring '12, being in a compressed state, urges the friction shoe 50 intowedged engagement with the column wedge surfaces 46 and 48 and therealong into frictional'ehgagement with the related friction plate 26 carried by the bolster 4.

'Directing attention now to Figures through 8, wherein another embodiment of the invention is illustrated and whereinnumerals used in the preceding embodiment are again used to identify identical structural parts, it will be seen that each column presents an opening 80 in the area immediate adjacent the friction plate 26 of the bolster 4. The opening 89 communicates with a pocket 82 defined by a column housing 8 herein illustrated as being rigidly connected to the column 12 by welding. It will be understood, however, that the pocket defining housing 84 could be secured to the column 10 by any suitable means or could reasonably be made as an integral cast part of the side frame. 7

The housing 84 comprises vertically spaced upper and lower wedge walls 86 and 88. Converging wedge segments 90 and 92 are integrally formed and angularly re lated to the wedge walls 86 and 88, respectively, said 'wedlg'e segments being diagonally arranged with respect tothe inboard and outboardcolumn walls 34 and 36 and in acute angle relation to the related vertical friction plate 26 on the adjacent bolster. Referring to Figure 8 it be seen that the convergingwedge segments 90 a and 92 merge along a horizontal line centrally of the housing 8 4 and also present converging "shoe engaging wedge surfaces 94 and 96, respectively. A wall 98 rigidly connected to the housing 84 "serves as a seat for one end of the shoe actuating spring 100. Referring to Figure '6 is will be seen that the spring seat wall 98 is normallyarranged with respect to the wedge Walls 186 and 88 diagonally arranged with respect to the related fiat friction plate 26 of the bolster 4. A V V Describing now the radian shoe itli. employed in the insta'fit embodiment, it will be seen that said sh'oe comprises a -flat friction wali'102 having a friction surface 104 ecsmpiememut engagable with the friction plate 26. Rigidly aiid no'r'iiially connected to the friction wall 102 are the top and bottom shoe walls 105 and 106. A shoe :wedg'e wall 108 depends 'angula'r'ly fromthe top shoe wall 105 and is in acute angle relation with the friction wall 102. Another shoe wedge Wall 110 is formed angularly with a'bottom shoe wall 106 and is also acutely related to the friction wall 102. The wedge walls 198 and 111) ctnive'rge and 'mei'ge alohg a hbriiohtal line centrally of the shoe and respectively present wedge surfaces 112 and 114 which complemehtally engage the wedge surfaces 94 and 96 of the column walls 86 and 88. A spring seat wall 116 is presented by each shoe 101, said Wall being angularly arranged with the friction 'wall 102 and, in the true; assembled condition, parallel to The shoe actuating spring 100 which has been described as having an end seated against the wall 98 is compressively seated at its other end'against the shoe spring seat wall 116. Thus it will be seen that the spring 100 urges the friction 'shce 101 into wedge engagement between the friction plate 26 and the column wedge surfaces and 96.

From the above description of both embodiments "of my invention it will be understood that a constant friction shoe pressure is maintained on both rel'anveupward and downward movements of the bolster. It will be seen that the converging relation of the engaging wedgesurfaces on the columns and friction shoes is effective to wedge the shoe into the column thus positively resisting :the tendency of the shoe to angle in response to bolster movement. tively resist unwanted horizontal and vertical angling be tween the bolster and the side frame. In addition, my invention has eliminated complicated'bolster construction and has relegated shoe wedging action to the side frame whereat comparative freedom from limited space requirements renders construction of the snubbing mechanism more easily and cheaply accomplished.

I claim:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression members, spaced columns integral with said members and defining therewith a bolster opening, said columns having inboard and outboard walls, a cradle spring seat on said tension member at the lower end of said opening, coiled load springson said seat extending into said opening,- a bolster having an end'disrnentally engaging said wedge segments, compressed spring means engaged between said outboard walls and a the shoes to urge the shoes into wedged engagement with said wedge segments and into frictional engagement with said plates. r a

2-. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression members and spaced columns defining therewith a bolster opening, each column having spaced inboard and outboard walls interconnected by a front wall, a cradle spring seat on said tension member, a bolster and disposed between said columns within said opening, spring means interposed between-said seat and an opening to the related friction plate, converging wedge surfaces rigidly connected to the column and diagonally related to the inboard and outboard walls of said columns and convergin'g inboardly and terminating adjacent the inboard sides of their respective friction plates, friction .shoe meansdis'posed within each pocket, wedge surfaces on said shoe means complementally engaged with said converging wedge surfaces, and spring means reacting in a ho'riZontal plane against said shoe means and urging same inboardly toward each other along said conver in wedge surfaces into frictional engagement with their respective friction plates.

3. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns defining a 'bol'ster window, a bolster resiliently supported from the side frame Within said window, friction surfaces on said bolster adjacent each column, each column having an opening adjacent the related bolster friction surfaces, each of said openings communicating This construction is also operative to posi V wedge surfaces and into frictional engagement with the associated bolster friction surface.

4. A railway car truck according to claim 3, wherein said spring means react along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bolster.

5. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression members, spaced columns integral with said members and defining therewith a bolster window, a cradle spring seat on said tension member at the lower end of said window, coiled load springs on said seat extending into said window, a bolster having an end disposed between said columns within said window and seated on said springs, vertical friction plates carried by said bolster in areas immediately adjacent the respective columns, an opening in each column adjacent each of said friction plates, each of said column openings communicating with a column pocket, vertically spaced wedge walls defining upper and lower limits of each of said pockets, said walls being integrally formed with the inboard and outboard vertical column Walls, wedge segments on each of said wedge walls, said segments converging on each other in a direction away from said column opening, said segments collectively converging inboardly toward its related vertical friction plate, a friction shoe within each of said pockets and having wedge surfaces complementally engaging said wedge segments, 2. spring seat housing on said shoe presenting a socket having a spring seat normally related to the related friction plate, spring means within said socket reacting against said spring seat and the related outboard vertical column wall, said spring means being operative to urge said shoe inboardly into wedged engagement with said wedge segments and into frictional engagement with the related bolster friction plate.

6. A railway car truck according to claim 5, wherein said spring means consists of a coiled helical spring, the axis of which is parallel to the lcngtiudinal axis of said bolster.

7. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression members, spaced columns integral with said members and defining therewith a bolster window, said columns having inboard and outboard walls, a cradle spring seat on said tension member at the lower end of said window coiled load springs on said seat eX- tending into said window, a bolster having an end disposed between said columns within said window and seated on said springs, vertical friction plates carried by said bolster in areas immediately adjacent the respective columns, an opening in each column adjacent each of said friction plates, each of said openings communicating with a column pocket, wedge walls secured to and extending outboardly from said inboard wall and defining the upper and lower limits of each of said pockets, converging wedge segments on said wedge walls, said segments merging along a horizontal line centrally intermediate said wedge walls, a spring seat rigidly connected to said wedge walls and diagonally related to the inboard and outboard column walls, a friction shoe in each of said pockets having wedge surfaces complementally engaging said wedge segments, another spring seat connected to said shoe, spring means reacting against and between the first and second mentioned spring seats and urging said shoe into wedged engagement with said wedge segments and the related bolster friction plate.

8. A railway car truck according to claim 7, wherein said first and second mentioned spring seats are in parallel relation and the spring means consists of a helical coiled spring having its axis angularly related to the longitudinal axis of said bolster.

9. In a side frame for a railway car truck, the combination of tension and compression members, spaced columns therebetween and defining therewith a bolster opening, a friction shoe pocket in each column communicating with said opening, spaced wedge walls defining the upper and lower limits of each of said pockets, wedge surfaces on said wedge walls in each pocket converging on each other and collectively converging on the vertical transverse center plane of said frame.

10. A side frame according to claim 9, wherein associated converging wedge surfaces converge toward each other in a direction away from said opening.

11. A composite side frame structure comprising tension and compression members and spaced columns defining a bolster window, said columns having inboard and outboard walls, each column having a pocket communicating with the window, converging wedge surfaces within each pocket, a friction shoe disposed within each pocket engageable with said surfaces and having a face for bearing against one side of a bolster, and spring means angularly arranged with respect to said inboard and outboard column walls and reacting against said shoe urging same into wedged engagement with the wedge surfaces and the bolster.

l2. A railway car truck according to claim 11, wherein said angularly arranged spring means react against one said column walls and against said shoe.

13. A composite side frame structure comprising a side frame having tension and compression members, spaced columns therebetween and defining therewith a bolster opening, a friction shoe pocket in each column communicating with said opening, spaced Wedge walls defining the upper and lower limits of each of said pockets, wedge surfaces on said wedge walls in each pocket converging on each other and collectively converging on the vertical transverse center plane of said frame, and friction means comprising a friction shoe and associated resilient means mounted in each pocket, said shoes having wedge surfaces engaging the wedge surfaces on said wedge walls.

14. A composite side frame structure according to claim 13, wherein said shoes are provided with opposed parallel bolster engaging faces.

15. A composite side frame structure according to claim 13, wherein said shoes are provided with opposed parallel bolster engaging faces, each resilient means being compressed along an axis normal to the plane of the side frame.

16. A composite side frame structure according to claim l3, wherein said shoes are provided with opposed parallel bolster engaging faces, each resilient means being compressed along a horizontal axis disposed in a plane converging toward said vertical transverse center plane of the side frame.

17. A composite side frame structure according to claim 13, wherein said shoes are provided with opposed parallel bolster engaging faces, each resilient means being compressed along an axis normal to the plane of the side frame, each column comprising inboard and outboard walls, and each resilient means being compressed between its respective shoe and outboard Wall.

18. A composite side frame structure according to claim 13, wherein said shoes are provided with opposed parallel bolster engaging faces, each resilient means being compressed along a horizontal axis disposed in a plane converging toward said vertical transverse center plane of the side frame, each pocket comprising a housing rigidly secured to its respective column.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

